


Stages of Progression

by indecency



Category: Free!
Genre: BoyxBoy, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2210349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indecency/pseuds/indecency
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Relationships take time and effort. Not all can handle it unless they successfully pass the stages of the progression.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stages of Progression

Rin was like the heat whilst Haruka was the water. The heat made the water boil to its limit. It made the water feel hot and angst, as if pushed to reach a whole new boundary to its regularly still obedience. However Makoto was the steam. The asset let off from the high friction relationship of Rin and Haruka. Makoto, like steam, was frustrated by the thought of being nothing but a by product of the rivalry between his two companions. Though he'd never comply to admit it, Makoto Tachibana was sincerely jealous of Rin Matsuoka.

 

The winter snow left powdery sheets on the Tokyo ground. Makoto woke up looking outside the window. Watching his younger brother and sister playing in the white wonder, he smiled. Being young and care-free was something Makoto missed. Some people don't have memories of their past but the broad shouldered boy definitely did. Possibly and most likely because his past was filled with countless memories of his childhood best friend, Haruka Nanase

Makoto watched the raven haired boy grow. He too grew to understand and read his friend. He grew a respectable worry and care for Haruka. Makoto learned to love and protect his dear friend. Haruka knew this too. Deep inside, though not usually expressed in words, Haruka was aware that Makoto had been there from the beginning.

It was Makoto who convinced him to join the swim club which he now loves. Green eyes shower him as his mentality develops. The same green eyes that watched Haruka build unexcused habits such as wearing jammers under his clothes or eating nothing but mackerel for breakfast. It was indeed Makoto who'd enter Haruka's home and welcome him with a towel and a hand as he ended his daily (hourly if he was able to) bathe. It was Makoto who saved him from potential arrests for undressing in public when lured by water. After all, it was Makoto who was with him as he survived his grandmother's death. Makoto was the one who told Haruka it would be alright. Many people had offered their deepest condolences but to Haruka, it was Makoto's that mattered most.

Yet Makoto didn't see things that way. He didn't feel that he had the same importance to Haruka. In the end, it was _Rin_ who could change how Haruka felt. _Rin_ brought out the side of Haruka that nobody else could. In Makoto's eyes, it was _Rin_ who made Haruka enjoy competitive swimming. Only he could burn the fire in Haruka's eyes that certainly brewed a rare tension from someone who was typically calm. What Makoto didn't know was that Haruka loathed that feeling.

Haruka only saw Rin as a friend as well as a rival. However that was only natural. Haruka wasn't emotionless; though many thought otherwise. Unconditionally, Haruka adored swimming free. Being free from pressure of those around him. The only pressure he allowed was from the water as he floated on his back. Watching the sky and how the clouds appeared to move whilst the water comforted his lean back was what the raven haired boy loved most. There was one thing he loved more than that. A feeling that he buried deep inside his tissues and countless cells and could never bring himself to say. Makoto Tachibana was the one Haruka loved.

The ticking clock made Makoto sweat. Time was steadily caving closer to him going to swim practice. Makoto sincerely did not want to worry about swim practice. He never did before. Although today, after thinking long and hard about his situation with his best friend, he realised he couldn't face the people who had clouded his ultimate thoughts. Since it was winter and the Iwatobi swim team could not use their outdoor swimming pool for practice, Samezuka had allowed them to share their indoor pool for a combined practice. Of course this meant that Rin would be there. Makoto irked at the thought of seeing the pair together in one another's dearest presence.

Who would be the first person that Makoto should alert that he was not attending swim practice? Nagisa would be too explosive. Rei comes in a pair with Nagisa. If he has something to say, he'll side his argument alongside Nagisa. Rin would become suspicious and never end the conversation until he convinced Makoto to come. Therefore the option Makoto had left was Haruka, seeing as that was the only number he had left.

_To: Haruka_

_From: Makoto_

_Haru, Im not coming to practice tday._

'Send'. Haruka would be leaving his house just a few moments after realising that Makoto would not be waiting for him. Thus he will be able to see his phone and the message in time before he dashes into the water and further indulged into the absence of peace. Makoto left his phone on his bedside table before straightening his bed and saying goodbye to Ren and Ran before they were taken to daycare. "Nii-chan!" the pair simultaneously spoke, running towards their older brother. The twins always made Makoto smile even when they'd recklessly cling onto him. Now Makoto was crouching down whilst they stood before him. "You two have fun at daycare, okay? Be good." he advised with the sweetest smile. The pair nodded and hugged Makoto before their mum escorted them out, leaving a hug and kiss for Makoto.

The brown haired sighed. He returned to his room after freshening up for his lazy day. His phone lay silent as Haruka had not left a reply. But, a knock lay heavy on Makoto's front door. Who could it be? The emerald eyed teen ambled towards the door. His hand wrapped around the door knob whilst he attempted to make out the image seen through the peep-hole. Instinctively, he opened the door to reveal a slightly fragile looking Haruka.

"Haru-chan? What are you doing here?" Makoto asked innocently. "Why aren't you coming to practice?" Haruka said in a tone some may call cold but Makoto recognised as regular. The raven haired face remained still as Makoto's presented panic. "Uh, I don't feel like swimming today." Makoto replied with his hand scratching his neck.

"Okay, then I don't feel like it either." Haruka murmured in a monotone voice, allowing himself into the Tachibana home. Makoto was left baffled at the door. Nonetheless, Haruka paused in his route and turned around. "If that's okay with you." he said. This was one of those rare occasions where Haruka had spoken more than Makoto had within a certain space of time. "Uhm, yeah it's fine with me but don't you want to swim?" "I can go tomorrow." Haruka retorted, sitting himself down on Makoto's bed after entering his room whilst the taller boy followed him. Crap, tomorrow. Makoto considered himself stupid forgetting that he'd have this problem tomorrow and every day after that until winter was over. Still, it was unlikely for Haruka to skip practice too. Even though it was most horrifying that the team captain didn't attend, their ace not being there was unusual. Considering Haruka's destined desire for the water, anybody would be shocked to find out that he'd avoided to opportunity to embrace it.

"Why are you skipping?" Makoto asked. Haruka shrugged. "You're not going, so neither am I." Makoto was incredibly dumbfounded by Haruka's remark. Being in the same room with him felt alien although he'd been doing it for years. This was Makoto's best friend, the one person he felt undeniably comfortable with. The one he'd shamelessly clutch hands when he felt the slightest emotion of fright. This friend was the one who would audaciously shuffle onto Makoto's futon with him when he found the bed too lonely to sleep on. And still, Makoto was beaded with sweat just being two metres away from Haruka.

"Don't you want to see Rin though?" Makoto breathed under his breath but loud enough for Haruka to hear. Blue eyes dawned upon Makoto from beneath the dark fringe of the boy. "What makes you think I'd go there just to see Rin?" Haruka whispered in a solemn tone. Makoto trembled. He'd never doubted Haruka's feelings towards the sharp toothed red head. So why was he now?

By now the pair were receiving calls and messages from Nagisa, Rei and Rin. Yet they both chose to ignore them. "Tell me, Makoto." Haruka uttered. Slowly, Haruka walked closer to Makoto until the space between them was just of 30 centimetres. "I-I I don't know." Makoto stuttered. "You obviously do." Haruka riposted. "Well, well you like Rin. It's evident." Makoto muttered. "What?" Haruka replied in a slightly louder voice. "Haru-chan, just go. Leave me be." Makoto said with a smile that could not fool Haruka profoundly. It was a smile that Haruka grew up with. He knew what it meant because Makoto first used it when he fell from a playing frame and scraped his knee. Even though the tears in his eyes proved wrong, Makoto smiled and said 'I'm fine.' It would take a lot to fool Haruka. The boy was intelligent when it came to reading his best friend.

"I do **not** like Rin in the way you think. He's a rival, sure. He's a friend too but in no way do I _'like'_ him." Haruka replied in an angered but sincere manner. "I-I'm sorry, Haru-chan. Please don't be mad." Makoto apologised. "I'm not mad, I'm just not going to let you believe stupid assumptions that aren't true." Haruka sighed. Makoto now felt like a fool. He put his head in his hands for a moment before recollecting his thoughts. "I envy Rin for the way he makes you feel. I wish I could make you feel a way nobody else can." Makoto admitted. Haruka stood wide-eyed at the confession.

"You're not a rival, Makoto." Haruka sighed again. "Makoto, I don't want to argue because of a middleman. Do you know why I swim?" "Because you love the water." Makoto answered but Haruka shook his head. "Besides that," Haruka said to which Makoto shrugged. "I swim because of you. Who was it who encouraged me to join the swim club? **You**. You've been there all along, _not Rin._ You showed me how to enjoy swimming with you. I love swimming with you." Haruka declared. Makoto's cheeks blushed a rose pink whilst he absorbed the news. "I didn't know..." Makoto mumbled. "Well now you do." Haruka replied.

There was still something Haruka wished to do. They'd done it before, but when they were young and merely aware of what it meant. This time, Haruka wanted to do it and mean it. Haruka gently grasped Makoto's wrist and pulled him slightly close. The sapphire eyed boy tip toed slightly until at a perfect distance from the taller boy's face. Makoto looked confused but Haruka gave him no time to squirm as he tilted his head slightly and positioned his soft lips directly above Makoto's. Delicately, Haruka kissed the taller boy's lips whilst both their cheeks turned red. Haruka tightened his grip on Makoto's wrists as the brown haired began to kiss Haruka back. Did Haruka feel the same way towards Makoto that he did? The kiss became deeper each second and slowly the pair ran out of breath. The parted gradually and reached for air.

"Makoto, I don't have any dreams. I don't swim for the future. I swim for my friends. I swim for you." Haruka revealed. "Makoto, I like  _you_."

"I _like_ you too, Haru-chan."


End file.
